Local_Forest_Special_Contract_Requirements.docx

BARRICADES, WARNING SIGNS, AND OTHER DEVICES

The Contractor shall provide, erect, and maintain all necessary barricades, suitable and sufficient lights, danger signals, signs, and other traffic control devices, and shall take all necessary precautions for the protection of the work and safety of the public. Roads closed to traffic shall be protected by effective barricades, and obstructions shall be illuminated during the hours of darkness. Suitable warning signs shall be provided to properly control and direct traffic.

The Contractor shall erect warning signs in advance to any place on the project where operations may interfere with the use of the road or trail by traffic and at all intermediate points where the new work crosses or coincides with an existing road or trail. All road barricades, warning signs, lights, temporary signals, flagmen and pilot car operators and equipment, and other protective devices, except for special devices, shall conform with Part VI of the 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, published by the Federal Highway Administration and applicable safety codes.

Necessary warning signs and guards shall be posted during blasting operations to safeguard the public.

As a minimum, it is anticipated that the following type and number of signs will be required:

Location

Designation

Quantity

The contractor is responsible for the safety of the public and the safe passage of vehicles on open roads when work is being done on adjacent roads where rocks and other debris can fall or roll onto the road. Temporary closures (less than 30 minutes), flaggers, and additional signs and barriers may be required with no additional cost to the government. Contractor must submit a traffic control plan 2 weeks prior to any temporary road closure for approval by the C.O.

LANDSCAPE PRESERVATION

(a) Do not remove, deface, injure, or destroy trees, shrubs, lawn, or natural features not designated for treatment. This does not include access roads. Confine operations to within the clearing limits or other areas designated in the contract documents, and prevent the depositing of rocks, excavated materials, stumps, or other debris outside of these limits. Retrieve material which falls outside of these limits and dispose of, or incorporate in the work.

Preserve the scenic and natural environment along this construction project.

(b) Do not allow objectionable material to enter any stream, river, lake, or other body of water. Retrieve material which falls in these areas and dispose of, or incorporate in the work, and repair damage to vegetation or structures outside the project limits.

(c) Do not operate equipment or otherwise disturb the natural vegetation and soil beyond the construction limits.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Prevention of Oil Spills.

The contractor is required to have a spill plan. The plan will contain a description of the specific hazardous materials, procedures, and spill containment that will be used, including inventory, storage, and handling.

All vehicles carrying fuel will have specific equipment and materials needed to contain or clean up any incidental spills at the project site.

All pumps and generators used in or near streams will have appropriate spill containment structures and/or absorbent pads in place during use.

When storage facilities for oil or oil products are on site, appropriate preventive measures shall be taken to insure that any spill of such oil or oil products does not enter any stream or any other body of water. If a spill of petroleum product should occur in water, immediately notify the Contracting Officer and appropriate state agencies.

Service all equipment only in the areas approved by the Contracting Officer. If the total oil or oil products storage exceeds 1320 gallons or if any single container exceeds a capacity of 660 gallons, prepare a Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) Plan. Meet all applicable EPA requirements (40 CFR 112) including certification by a registered professional engineer.

Contractor shall ensure that all personnel involved in handling and packaging the hazardous materials are trained for the level of expertise required for the proper performance of the task and, in particular, in the areas of chemical incompatibility, general first aid procedures, and spills. Provide handling and personal protective equipment appropriate to ensure safe handling of the hazardous waste according to 29 CFR 1910.120). Notify the Forest Service of all hazardous material that may be brought onto the National Forest.

The Contractor is solely responsible for all spills or leaks that occur during the performance of this contract. The contractor must clean up spills or leaks in a manner that complies with Federal, state, and local laws and regulations and to the satisfaction of the CO. Any spills resulting in a detectable sheen on water shall be reported to the EPA National Response Center (1-800-424-8802). Any spills over 25 gallons will be reported to the Idaho Division of Environmental Quality and cleanup will be initiated within 24 hours of the spill. When available provide copies of all spill related clean up and closure documentation and correspondence from regulatory agencies.

Equipment Fuel/Oil Leakage.

All equipment used for instream work will be cleaned of external oil, grease, dirt and mud; and leaks repaired; prior to arriving at the project site. All equipment will be inspected by the Contracting Officer’s Representative before unloading at site. Any leaks or accumulations of grease will be corrected before entering streams or areas that drain directly to streams or wetlands.

All equipment (heavy equipment, chainsaws, ATVS, other hand power tools) will be fueled outside of stream-adjacent riparian areas and wet areas. Specific fueling areas may be approved and designated by the CO. When not in use, vehicles and fueling equipment will be stored in a designated staging area. The staging area should be in an area that will not deliver fuel, oil, etc. to streams.

Oil-absorbing floating booms, and other equipment such as pads and absorbent “peanuts” appropriate for the size of the stream, will be available on-site during all phases of construction. For small streams with few pools or slack water, booms may not be effective. Use pads and straw bales to anchor booms if necessary. Booms will be placed in a location that facilitates an immediate response to potential petroleum leakage.

NOXIOUS WEED CONTROL

In order to prevent the potential spread of noxious weeds into work areas, Contractor shall be required to use weed-free equipment.

The following is considered proof of weed-free equipment:

The Contractor will be required to clean all construction equipment prior to entry on to National Forest land. This cleaning shall remove all dirt and plant parts and material that could carry noxious weed seeds into the work area. Only clean construction equipment inspected by the Forest Service will be allowed to operate within the work area. All subsequent move-ins of construction equipment shall be treated in the same manner as initial move-in.

Straw/Hay Bales shall be certified as “Weed Free”. The source field shall be inspected and certified by the county extension agent from the county that the straw/hay is grown. Each shipment onto the forest shall be accompanied by a certification tag stating that it is weed free. The contractor shall furnish the forest service with a statement of certification.

FIRE CONTROL

Any employees and equipment furnished will be relieved from fire fighting as soon as the Forest Service finds that it is practicable to employ other labor and equipment adequate for the protection of the area. An equitable adjustment in contract time may be made for this period.

Any fueling or refueling of a powersaw shall only be done in an area which has first been cleared or is free of all material capable of carrying fire; powersaw shall be moved at least 10 feet from place of fueling before starting.

All stovepipes, inside and out, will not be closer than 2 feet from any wood or other flammable material or 1 foot if the combustible material is protected by a metal or asbestos shield.

When Hoot Owl restrictions are invoked, the Forest Service may curtail or shut down all or portions of a Contractor's operations. The following requirements may be imposed:

The Contractor shall provide at a location satisfactory to the Contracting Officer, a serviceable truck or trailer, equipped with a fire fighting tanker unit to be kept ready for instant use for suppressing forest fires. The unit shall consist of a tank of not less than 100-gallon capacity which shall be mounted to a live hose reel with a minimum of 100 feet of hose not less than (3/4) inch INSIDE diameter of non-collapsible (booster) hose with combination nozzle. Hose shall be connected to the water supply.

The tank shall be attached to the chassis frame or to a structurally sound flat bed in such a way to withstand pitch, roll and yaw of the load during on and off road operation of the unit without damaging the tank or other chassis components.

The pump may be an auxiliary powered pump or a power take-off pump with discharge capacity of a minimum 10 gallons per minute at 100 P.S.I. pressure. All pumps shall have a discharge pressure gauge. If the pump is of the positive displacement type, a bypass or pressure relief valve shall be provided. The pump as mounted shall be capable of drafting water from a source located 10 vertical feet below the pump head through the required 20 feet of suction hose. A portable pump capable of filling a 100 gallon tank in 10 minutes or less may be substituted in order to meet the fill time requirements.

Each Pump and Trailer or Truck unit shall have an additional fitting for 250 feet of ¾ inch garden type hose (capable of withstanding the required pressure), two ¾ inch gated wyes, and 4 hose nozzles of the shut-off type, adjustable for straight stream, spray, or fog.

A fire extinguisher, multi-purpose 2A 10BC that is securely mounted to the trailer or truck and accessible by the operator shall be required. The fire extinguisher shall have a current annual inspection tag and the annual maintenance tag in regards to a 6 year annual inspection and every 12 years regarding a hydro test on all dry powder, metal fire extinguishers.

Tools, adapters, accessories and fuel necessary to operate the pump and trailer or truck shall be provided. If a trailer is used, the proper tow hitch shall require a 2” ball, a serviceable vehicle and shall be located at point satisfactory to the Contracting Officer. Fill sites shall be identified prior to use, and equipment shall be field tested in the presence of an inspector.